Public areas such as schools, airports, malls, and theaters have recently been the target of large-scale criminal incidents. Such incidents include physical attacks such as mass shootings and terrorist incidents, but also include attacks on property and social order such as riots, flash mobs and violent protests. Incidents are often coordinated through communication mediums such as cell phones, text messages, social media, and chat rooms. Using such technologies, a group of active shooters or a flash mob may coordinate their activities in a manner to inflict maximum damage or disruption while avoiding law enforcement personnel.
Individuals in the area of the incident may observe the incident or circumstances related to an incident. For example, observers may see assailants, hear gunshots, see or hear victims, and observe the progress of responders such as police and medical personnel. A typical observer will have a communication device such as a smart phone, smart watch, or tablet device with them while observing the incident. These communication devices provide various communication tools such as cellular phone connectivity, text messages, messaging boards, and social media outlets. They also may include sensors, cameras, microphones, and other tools that may be useful in acquiring information about an incident.
The proliferation of communication devices allows observers to provide information to incident reporting systems, law enforcement, acquaintances, or in some cases, anyone who is able to view a social media feed. Observers often provide contradictory or irrelevant information regarding an incident, which makes it difficult for law enforcement to discern the relevant facts to respond to the incident. In addition, the large volume and diversity of available information increases the difficulty of distinguishing relevant information from false or irrelevant information. Many observers may begin to use a large amount of bandwidth at the same time, increasing the load on the communication network in the area of the incident and possibly causing relevant communications (e.g., from responders or direct observers) to be blocked. Communications to third parties such as acquaintances or strangers may cause more people to flock to the area of the incident in an effort to assist or out of curiosity. This response increases the number of bystanders in the area of the incident and may also cause traffic problems that prevent law enforcement or other responders from reaching the incident.